Battery interconnect assembly and method

Abstract

A battery interconnect assembly includes, among other things, at least one first sense lead operably coupled to a structure on a first side of an array of battery cells, and at least one second sense lead operably coupled to a structure on a different, second side of the array. The assembly further includes a multi-port connector configured to communicate signals from both the at least one first sense lead and the at least one second sense lead. A battery monitoring method includes, among other things, communicating signals from a plurality of sense leads through a multi-port connector. At least one of the sense leads is operably connected to a first structure on a first side of a battery array, and least one of the sense leads is operably connected to a second structure on a different, second side of the battery array.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery interconnect assembly, comprising:
 at least one first sense lead operably coupled to a first structure on a first side; 
 at least one second sense lead operably coupled to a second structure on a different, second side, wherein the first side faces in a first direction, and the second side faces in a different, second direction; and 
 a multi-port connector configured to communicate signals from both the at least one first sense lead and the at least one second sense lead, 
 wherein the first side is transverse to the second side. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first side is opposite the second side. 
     
     
       3. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first structure on the first side is a busbar electrically coupled to at least one positive battery terminal, and the second structure on the second side is a busbar electrically coupled to at least one negative battery terminal. 
     
     
       4. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a first and second flap each hinged to a base side, the first structure on the first side mounted to the first flap, the second structure on the second side mounted to the second flap. 
     
     
       5. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second flap each include at least one snap feature configured to engage an endplate of a battery module. 
     
     
       6. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the base side provides a portion of an enclosure for battery cells. 
     
     
       7. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an enclosure cover, the first structure on the first side mounted to a first side of the enclosure cover, the second structure on the second side mounted to an opposite, second side of the enclosure cover. 
     
     
       8. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising thermoplastic staking that secures the at least one first sense lead to the first side by thermoplastic staking. 
     
     
       9. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic staking additionally secures the first structure to the first side. 
     
     
       10. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first structure is a busbar. 
     
     
       11. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the first structure on the first side is a busbar electrically coupled to at least one positive battery terminal, and the second structure on the second side is a busbar electrically coupled to at least one negative battery terminal. 
     
     
       12. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-port connector is a pin connector. 
     
     
       13. A battery interconnect assembly, comprising:
 at least one first sense lead operably coupled to a first structure on a first side; 
 at least one second sense lead operably coupled to a second structure on a different, second side, wherein the first side faces in a first direction, and the second side faces in a different, second direction; and 
 
       a multi-port connector configured to communicate signals from both the at least one first sense lead and the at least one second sense lead,
 wherein the multi-port connector is disposed on the first side, and further comprising a sense lead crossover extending from the at least one second sense lead to the multi-port connector. 
 
     
     
       14. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the sense lead crossover is a flexible printed circuit. 
     
     
       15. A battery interconnect assembly, comprising:
 a plurality of battery cells disposed along an axis; 
 at least one first sense lead operably coupled to a first busbar structure on a first side of the plurality of battery cells, the first side facing in a first direction, the first busbar structure coupled to a positive terminal of at least one of the plurality of battery cells; 
 at least one second sense lead operably coupled to a second busbar structure on a different, second side of the plurality of battery cells, the second side facing in a second direction that is different that the first direction, the second busbar structure coupled to a negative terminal of at least one of the plurality of battery cells; and 
 a multi-port connector configured to communicate signals from both the at least one first sense lead and the at least one second sense lead. 
 
     
     
       16. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising a sense lead crossover extending from the at least one second sense lead to the multi-port connector. 
     
     
       17. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the multi-port connector is a pin connector, wherein the signals are voltage signals. 
     
     
       18. The battery interconnect assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising a first and second flap each hinged to a base side, the first busbar structure on the first side mounted to the first flap, the second busbar structure on the second side mounted to the second flap.